Bark peelers' hut, near Black Crag On a knoll to the west of Black Crag there's a pile of stones - the shell of a bark peeler's hut. A hearth at the centre of the stones. John Edmondson told us it was used in summer by bark peelers who produced tannin from the bark of oak trees. This is one of six similar sites in the Lake District. It's not marked on the OS map and I wanted to learn more, to discover how this bark peelers' hut was once a part of the woodland economy in the Coniston area.
This discovery came toward the conclusion of our walk and I'd been taking photographs of trees. An atmospheric day of low cloud when the silver trunks of birch trees were quickly engulfed in mist. Birch trees with those strange twiggy growths known as witches' broom. There were plantations along our walk, coniferous trees. But I don't recall seeing oak trees. These abundant conifer plantations will be comparatively recent, no doubt.
Over lunch, a flock of pregnant ewes came close to investigate. Their colourful rumps told when they'd been tupped, when they would lamb. Reading- up on bark peelers I learnt that the woodland economy was as important to the monks of Furness Abbey as their flocks of sheep. Look at the OS map of the Coniston area and the history lies before you. There are plantations galore, and coppices where there would have been charcoal burning and bloomeries toward the making of iron:
Lane Head Coppice, Old Close Coppice, Bull Close Coppice, Brow Coppice , Spicka Coppice, Renny Park coppice
Rose Castle Plantation , plantations and intakes
Yewfield, Yewdale, Yewdale Fells, Yewdale Moss
Hollin Bank- holly trees giving fodder to cattle.
And there are signs of industry:
Quarry (dis), quarries (dis) , levels (dis), mine and workings (dis)
Shepherd Bridge, Miner’s Bridge , Coppermines Valley
I read the OS map in conjunction with East Coniston Woodland, Cumbria Historic Landscape Survey.
Thanks to John Edmondson for showing us the bark peelers hut and making me reflect upon the history of this landscape and the woodland economy.
Lane Head Coppice, Old Close Coppice, Bull Close Coppice, Brow Coppice , Spicka Coppice, Renny Park coppice
Rose Castle Plantation , plantations and intakes
Yewfield, Yewdale, Yewdale Fells, Yewdale Moss
Hollin Bank- holly trees giving fodder to cattle.
And there are signs of industry:
Quarry (dis), quarries (dis) , levels (dis), mine and workings (dis)
Shepherd Bridge, Miner’s Bridge , Coppermines Valley
I read the OS map in conjunction with East Coniston Woodland, Cumbria Historic Landscape Survey.
Thanks to John Edmondson for showing us the bark peelers hut and making me reflect upon the history of this landscape and the woodland economy.
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